Asian additive manufacturing shows postponed due to Coronavirus outbreak concerns
Automotive industry also affected
Due to concerns relating to the Coronavirus outbreak in China and in other Asian nations, two leading Asian shows with a focus on additive manufacturing – TCT Asia and Asiamold – have been postponed to a later date.
TCT Asia was originally scheduled to take place in Shanghai in February (19-21). The TCT Asia team at VNU Rapid News Ltd has been monitoring the developing pneumonia epidemic which has caused a wider outbreak in China with already more than 6,000 cases at the time of writing, about the same as the entire duration of the SARS outbreak (however, the virus’ current mortality rates of around 5% are lower than recent similar outbreaks including SARS). After studying and evaluating the announcements, guidance and news released by relevant national departments and in order to protect the health and safety of exhibitors and visitors TCT Asia 2020, the show has thus been postponed to a later date.
SIAF Guangzhou and Asiamold have also been postponed following the notice by the Guangdong Province Department of Commerce on January 24th to suspend all large-scale events due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The organizers of the SPS – Industrial Automation Fair Guangzhou (SIAF) and concurrent Asiamold fairs have announced that the 2020 editions will be postponed until further notice. The fairs were originally scheduled to be held from 26 – 28 February at the China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou. New dates for the fairs will be announced in due course.
“The wellbeing of all our stakeholders is paramount, so following the announcement by the Guangdong government to strengthen the epidemic prevention efforts by suspending all large-scale trade and economic events, we immediately began taking steps to postpone these two fairs to a later date,” Mr. Hubert Duh, Chairman of Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd explained on behalf of the fairs’ co-organizers. “We are in communication with the relevant government authorities and venue owners about rescheduling the fairs later this year, but due to the evolving situation in the country, it is too early to provide any details on this.”
Further announcements will be made in due course. Exhibitors or visitors with any queries should email sps@china.messefrankfurt.com for SIAF or asiamold@china.messefrankfurt.com for Asiamold.
This latest outbreak of a pneumonia virus has been escalating rapidly – in spite of immediate measures put in place by the Chinese government to contain the virus. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Analysts are now concerned that the global economy and in particular the Chinese automotive market could be significantly disrupted by it. This prompted major auto companies with operations there to restrict travel and ask employees to stay home. At least one German auto supplier confirmed Tuesday that four employees had been infected. Toyota just announced it has suspended production.
The Wall Street Journal goes on to explains that the Chinese auto industry has grown from virtually nothing 30 years ago to become the world’s largest market for new vehicles, surpassing the U.S. in 2009. Wuhan, Hubei’s capital and the believed source of the outbreak, has in that period emerged as an auto-making hub, home to state-owned Chinese car manufacturer Dongfeng Motor Corp. and numerous assembly plants building cars for Honda Motor Co.
